


Right, In This Moment

by jellyyscribs



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:53:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23900035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellyyscribs/pseuds/jellyyscribs
Summary: When two people have a lot of pent up feelings, who better than a spirit of compassion to help push them along.
Relationships: Female Hawke/Varric Tethras
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	Right, In This Moment

Her laughter could be heard throughout the entire tavern at Skyhold and Varric loved every moment of it. He had missed this. Swapping stories over what was supposed to be a few, and quickly turned into many more, drinks. It was just like old times back in Kirkwall only the quality of the drinks in Skyhold were significantly better, but Varric had acquired a palate for the swill in the Hanged Man. Or perhaps it was always Hawke’s company that made everything better. 

“And I said, ‘Since we don’t have a dog on this ship, let him walk the plank!’,” Hawke’s laughter once again echoing throughout the tavern as she was recalling tales of her latest endeavors aboard Isabela’s ship. She was starting to draw a small crowd of eavesdroppers, her natural charm almost made her as good of a storyteller as Varric himself, the thought made his smile grow with pride. 

“But since he was putting up a good fight about it all, we had no choice but to stab him dead,” she finished, her story, still with a self-satisfied smirk to her expression. 

…Okay so maybe she lacked a little bit of the finesse of storytelling, but he could see those who were listening, try to hide their chuckles and that was just all part of her charm wasn’t it. 

Apparently all the laughter and noise had caught the attention of not just the tavern patrons but the presence of someone who Varric was starting acknowledge rather quickly considering how quiet he moved about. 

Varric put his hand on Hawke’s shoulder to grab her attention before she started another story or by the looks of it, was about to offer to buy the entire tavern drinks. Her attention immediately snapped to him, smile still bright but he could tell she was ready to listen attentively to whatever he had to say. The magnitude of their friendship never ceased to impress him—Varric wasn’t the most religious of folk out there, but he could certainly believe in some sort of serendipity that put his life and Hawke’s on the same path years ago in Kirkwall. 

“Hawke, I’d like you to meet Cole, this is the Kid I was telling you about earlier,” Varric said, nodding to the spirit sitting near him. 

Hawke beamed at him in acknowledgement. “It’s good to meet you finally Cole and I know it’s cliché but any friend of Varric’s is a friend of mine; take care of my trusty dwarf for me will you.”

Cole nodded his affirmation. 

“So what brings you down into the tavern, Kid? We’re not making too much noise for you, are we?”

Cole shook his head. “It’s nice. Happy. Dark hours soon to come but there’s a bright light. Pain is forgotten for the night. A laughter as bright as the soul that warms the tavern, everyone drawn to it’s light. For one night we can all be at peace.”

Varric saw Hawke’s eyebrow quirk up at actually hearing Cole in person and not just from Varric’s retelling, but he could tell she reserved no judgement. “That’s the power of a good ale, all spirits have a knack for helping us forget, only some come with consequences the next morning, isn’t that right Varric?” she snorted. 

Varric shook his head, his smile never faltering. “You more than most, I’m sure.”

She feigned indignation and playfully shoved him in the shoulder, before turning back her attention to Cole, and that was another thing about her, wasn’t it, how she was always so attentive to those who deserved it, a kindness hidden under all her terrible jokes. 

“So Cole, all I know about you is just from what Varric has told me, and we know he has a tendency to make things a little more colourful than they tend to be, so I’d like for you to tell me a little bit more about yourself,” she stated. 

Cole seemed to be focused on the space between Varric and Hawke, and Varric thought Hawke would lose interest but he watched her wait patiently for Cole to respond. 

After a beat, he finally said, “Always so sure. Not only of herself but of everyone around her. A heart that notices everyone. He would die to protect that heart, so he could save his own.”

The silent moment that passed right after seemed to drag on for an age. Hawke didn’t seem to quite understand what was happening and shot a quick glance at Varric for some explanation but Varric was quick on the uptake and this wasn’t something he really wanted to explain. His internal monologue a litany of _shit, shit, shit, shit._

In a desperate attempt to change the so-called conversation Varric quickly impeded. “Now Cole, Hawke’s not really interested in that sort of melancholy conversation. Why don’t you tell the lovely lady about that cave we recently visited, Hawke loves a good story about killing giant spiders.” 

But Cole didn’t seem to hear him and continued, “Connected, together, by fate. Found strength in her laughter. Never let it stop.”

By now it seemed like everyone in the Tavern had stopped their own conversations, whether it was in Varric’s own imagination or not didn’t matter, it was too quiet, and Hawke was staring intently at Cole before turning her eyes onto Varric. 

“Varric…?”

Varric couldn’t take it, breaking their eye contact and looking intently at his drink in hand hoping at any moment he’d wake up with a hangover and that this was an embarrassing dream from drinking too much.

Unfortunately Cole just kept on going. “Eyes bright and deceiving. Cleverly hiding scars. He wants to brush the scars away, but doesn’t know how. He knows how but is afraid. To break the precious bond would break his very spirit. She will always be his spirit. He writes, but words will never do justice. Too real, too real, but not real enough. There’s a space in his life for more, but there can never be more. Not without risk.”

“Cole I think that’s enough,” Varric said, a little more severely than he intended. Sighing when he saw Cole’s hurt expression, he apologized, “Sorry Kid.”

Varric risked a quick glance at Hawke who had turned uncharacteristically quiet, but she wasn’t looking at Varric, she was intensely focused on Cole, and looking the most sober he had seen her all night. 

Cole nodded in understanding, “Strong. She’s strong and even though she can’t be broken, he’s scared of being the one to break her. A bird of prey, independent and fierce, but even a hawk-bird can be caged. Most beautiful when she’s free, wings spread wide.”

And that was it, Varric thought he could avoid this all by way of Cole’s vagueness, but that last sentiment wasn’t vague in the least, and now everyone in the tavern knew exactly who his heart belonged to. 

As much as he wanted to make a run for it, a soft pressure on his forearm kept him from going anywhere. It was Hawke’s hand keeping him in place. 

“Varric--”

“Hawke, don’t,” Varric replied curtly, shaking his head. 

Hawke had a terrible habit of doing the opposite of what he often asked for, only to shift closer to him and bend her head so it was next to his. 

“Everything Cole said, is it true?” she asked and as she did Varric could feel her tighten her grip slightly on his forearm, as if she was …nervous? 

Varric finally looked at her, if she was nervous, her face didn’t show it, if anything it looked a little on the smug side, as if she knew all along. 

_Typical_.

He gave a small chuckle and nodded, “Yeah, the Kid doesn’t lie.” He waited a beat, one of them was going to have to do something about all this know, and Andraste preserve him, he didn’t want to have to be the one, but he knew Hawke well, and he knew she was going to sit there with her smug grin, tawny eyes staring at him until he caved. It was his cards on the table after all, he may as well show his hand. 

“Look, you’re my best friend and I can’t lose you. It’s as simple as that.” Varric sighed. “So what now?”

The last thing he expected was to hear a low chuckle from beside him from Hawke. And what he certainly wasn’t expecting was a gentle press of her lips to his cheek, before she pinched him really hard. Varric had cried out in protest which only made cause for Hawke to laugh. 

“You’re an idiot, you know that Varric? All those things that Cole said, about you thinking about how great I am? I’m only great because I have you in my life. And you’re an idiot for thinking that you could ruin it all.”

Varric was speechless, for what may have been for the first time in his life. And he knew Hawke knew because he saw something change with the way she looked at him. 

“Varric, you are undoubtedly the most important person in my life. What’s between us could never be broken, but it could be even stronger.” 

There it was, he was starting to see the heat in Hawke’s eyes, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t starting to feel that heat pool around him as well. Not that he’d want to lie about this. 

“Now I do believe Cole mentioned that you knew a way to ‘brush my scars away’? I promise I won’t break,” she said playfully, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the counter of the bar. But before she could completely drag him away to her room in the tavern she stopped to turn to where Cole had been sitting, only to find the seat empty. 

Varric finally found his voice again. “Don’t worry, the Kid does that a lot, he’s already helping another helpless pair of sods,” he mentioned, nodding to Cole who was now sitting near a table in the corner. 

Hawke snorted, “Watch who you call a helpless sod.”

Varric couldn’t stop the warm smile that crossed his face as he was led to Hawke’s room, his hand in hers. 

And he did just as he promised, placing kisses on each scar across her body, and as he moved against her in the candlelight the whole world slowly disappeared along with all their anxieties and fear. It was just the two of them and nothing else mattered as long as they still had each other. 

Varric wondered what he had been so afraid of all along.


End file.
